Women in Snow Hut: A Contemporary Pure Land Organization

Wei-Yi Cheng

This paper investigates the participation of women in a Pure Land Buddhist organization in contemporary Taiwan. I refer to this organization as Snow Hut, because of its close association with the influential lay Buddhist teacher, Li Bingnan (1890-1986) who was deferentially called Elder Snow Hut. During his nearly four decades in Taiwan, Li taught a form of Pure Land Buddhism that encouraged devotees to remain householders while practicing Buddhism austerely. His influence on Buddhism in Taiwan is considerable; today many lay Buddhist organizations in Taiwan, such as Snow Hut, claim to carry on his lineage.

The case of Snow Hut raises many questions regarding "lay Buddhism." For example, is Snow Hut merely a lay Buddhist organization? Or is it a manifestation of a tradition that can be legitimately identified as "lay Buddhism?" In either case, how does Li Bingnan’s interpretation of lay Buddhism represent an alternative to women?

I will attempt to answer these questions by focusing on three points. First, I will exam the concept and history of "lay Buddhism" in Chinese Buddhist tradition to reveal whether “lay Buddhism” is an identifiable tradition in Chinese Buddhism. Next, I will give a brief introduction to Li’s teachings on the laity and Buddhist practice, with special attention to his teachings on gender. Since members of Snow Hut consider Li to be their founder, his teachings undoubtedly influence members’ attitude towards women. Finally, drawing on both literary sources and fieldwork, I will discuss Snow Hut’s teachings on liberation, especially on the question of whether women are able to attain liberation. The goal of the paper is to provide a better understanding of Buddhist practice as multifarious and not necessarily monastic.